THE ASSASIN'S DREAM
by Akayla Shanks
Summary: To fulfill a promise to her suposedly deceased brother Zolo, Akayla becomes a well known and much feared assasin. Little does she know that soon she'll be with all her friends and reunited with her brother,having grand adventures with the Mugiwara pirates
1. Chapter 1

disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. all characters belong to Echiro Oda with the exception of Akayla, Marina, and more to come in coming chapters.

hope you enjoy! D

**Chpt 1. TROUBLE AGAIN **

"Hey! Don't push me!" the young girl yelled trying to sound brave.

"Or what?" said one of the boys, "You'll get your big brother to beat us up?"

Actually, that had been exactly her plan. Akayla had always had to rely on her brother to get her out of trouble. It had been that way ever since she was old enough to get into trouble. It wasn't really her fault that the village troublemakers loved to pick on the orphan. In fact, it wasn't so much that she was an orphan, just that she and her brother weren't born in that village. In fact, it had been six years to the day since the old butcher and his wife found them in the woods all alone. And now, she was getting her anniversary present.

" You and your brother are outsiders." Said Toru, the leader of the little gang.

" We just try to have a little fun kicking you around and he always comes and socks us. Well here is our payback once and for all!" he sneered.

" Yes, it is." Another voice chimed in. That all too familiar voice that she loved to hear.

"Nii-san!" she yelled.

The small group of boys parted revealing a young boy of seven years old with **aqua- green** hair. The boy was at least two years younger, but just as tall as Toru.

" I'm sick of you beating up Akayla just because we're outsiders."

"No one asked you to come here!" retorted Toru as confidently as he could.

" Well it doesn't matter. I'm in a good mood today, so if you give her to me willingly, you may get by with only a few bruises. So what'll it be? I'll let you decide."

Toru smiled wickedly and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, one of the boys grabbed Akayla and held a knife to her throat.

" C'mon Zolo. We were just playing before. Now we're serious. Either you agree to leave town, or we mess her up so bad that no one will be able to tell that you're twins."

Zolo face went very tense and looked passed Toru to his sister. She was so adorable with her **blood- red** hair held up in pigtails. Her helpless, sparkling emerald eyes that, together with her sky blue dress, couldn't help but remind him of his favorite place, the sea.

" Let her go… and so will we."

"Nii-san no! We can't leave! It's the only place we have!" she said, tears flowing down her face.

" Akayla! I'm sorry but I can't let you get hurt. We'll go… and without a fight." He winked at her.

Then, faster than anyone could react, Zolo flew through the small crowd, punching anyone within arms reach. When he reached Akayla, He grabbed the knife and stuck it through the arm of the boy holding her. The boy howled in pain and let Akayla out of his grasp. Zolo quickly grabbed Akayla's hand and ran through the small mass of bodies strewn about the alley. The last thing they heard came from Toru, who had fallen to the ground from a hard blow in the stomach.

" This isn't over Zolo!" he cried. " We'll get you!"

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Hey! Akayla here. How was it? According to my sister (Marina Mihawk) it's AWESOME, but i want your comments too. Post a review!

And just so you know, my chapters are quite short but i upload them very frequently so NO WORRIES! review and e-mail me anytime!


	2. Chapter 2

Again short chapter, again hope you like it.

**Chapter 2: PROMISES**

As they walked home, Zolo and Akayla barely spoke to each other. She was always glad to be around him, but right now she just wanted to curl into a ball and shrink away where no one would find her. They had been so quiet all the way home that when Zolo did speak she jumped back in surprise.

" Akae, I'm not mad at you." He said calmly.

She didn't know why but that seemed to lighten her mood. Zolo was never mad at her. He never had been. And hearing him say he wasn't seemed to make everything better.

" I know your not Nii-san." She said sounding as happy as she could.

" But I want to apologize."

" For what?" He asked.She suddenly got very serious.

" For not being strong enough! If I were as strong as you are I wouldn't have to bother you to help me all the time! I'm not surprised at all if you're ashamed of me."

Zolo rounded on her. " Ashamed? What are you thinking? Akayla, you're the only family I have! We've grown up together all by ourselves! What do you take me for? I love knowing that I can be there for you. I love taking care of you. The fact that you're weak doesn't make me ashamed of you at all."

Of course he wasn't. How could she have been so stupid as to think he would? He had always been there for her in good times and bad. But she still felt bad. She had to do something, for the both of them.

" Zolo, I want to make you a promise. I'm going to promise you right now that someday I'll be one of the best fighters in the world. I promise that someday everyone in all the oceans will know my name. No matter what it takes I'll be one of the best!"

At this, Zolo broke out into a wide smile. " And someday, I'll be right up there with you."

They looked at each other and smiled. All the way home they discussed what kinds of weapons they might use and what they might do to train themselves.

" You should be an all around weapons master." Zolo said sprightly. " You'd be great! The way you are with instruments. You hear a tune once and you can play it back perfectly the first time with any instrument. You could do the same thing with weapons."

The idea of being able to use any weapon extremely well was a fantasy she doubted would ever come true. But the thought made her smile. What her brother had said about her musical gift was true, so why not do the same thing with weapons?

" Well you should use three swords." She teased.

" Three swords? I've only got two hands! Where does the other one go?"

" In your mouth silly!"

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hey everyone i decided to upload the next chapter aswell! I hope you enjoyed it and please review! You should also check out my sisters story! our stories are parodies off of each others story. Its called : Two Swordsman, Two Treasures . Its really good! almost as good as mine! Just Kidding.!. Ok I hope i get at least 5 reviews! See Ya

Akayla


	3. Chapter 3

My adoreing fans have been giving me good reviews lately. They make me smile

Chapter 3: FAMILY DE- UNION

Zolo and Akayla didn't live in the village itself. Once they were about five they moved into an abandoned storehouse next to the butcher shop. It was a comfortable little place with two levels, windows, and a good, sturdy foundation. Even though the old butcher and his wife had found them, they preferred to live relatively alone. The only company they ever got were seniors looking for Akayla to play them some music, or Tac, the only stray cat in the village. Zolo had come up with its name. TAC meant totally annoying cat, because it hardly ever left the storehouse and it followed him everywhere. The minute they walked through the door, Tac was bounding straight for Zolo.

" Dear God! Will you ever find someone else to bother?" Tac was circling his feet and purring loudly.

" If you hadn't saved him from that bulldog he might not bother you so much."

"Well I couldn't leave it Akae!" he retorted.

" You'd never have forgiven me if I did."

" Too true" Akayla smiled. " Too true."

After a dinner of bread, cheese, and salami, courtesy of the butcher, they rolled out their sleeping mats and went to bed early. They would need all of their energy to deal with Toru's gang the next day. But their next confrontation with Toru came sooner than expected.

Akayla woke up in the middle of the night feeling very hot. Had she come down with a fever? Had Zolo forgotten to bank the fire? She sat up and looked around. Bright orange flames licked at the walls and everything around her. She stood up and tried to get to a place that wasn't consumed by fire. What had happened? Where was her brother? She looked to her left and saw the stairs. Had he gone up there? 'Well, anywhere's better than here' she thought, and darted to the stairs. By the time she had gotten up the stairs, the smoke had gotten so bad she couldn't see anything. A window! She had to open a window! She groped her way to the one at the end of the hall. She had no sooner reached the window that a beam from the ceiling came and knocked her square in the back, sending her flying through the window, and smacking her against a tree. There was a loud crack a thousand knives seemed to stab her arm when she hit the ground. Zolo! Where was he? She needed help! She rolled onto her back and sat up. She could barely see anything past the tears welling in her eyes, but what she did see made her want to scream.

Toru and his gang were standing in front of their house holding clubs and fire-lit torches. They were looking at the ground laughing and pointing. Then Toru reached down and brought up an unconscious Zolo, who they threw into the burning storehouse. How could they? She had to do something! Help him somehow. But unconsciousness and pain were getting to her. The tree she had slammed against was swaying dangerously. It had caught fire as well. Just before consciousness had fully escaped her grasp, she heard a loud sigh and saw the tree falling… falling.

She woke to a searing pain in her chest and left arm. Something heavy was sitting on top of her chest. It was the tree. It and the gray sky was all she could see. How long had she been lying there? A day? Two days? An hour? She couldn't tell, but she guessed at least a day. Where was Zolo? Had he survived? She tried to call for him but her chest tightened and she started coughing up blood. She heard something. Voices? Had someone found her?

" Here's a survivor caption!" she heard a man yell.

" Where?" answered another. This second man, she could tell he was Scottish from his accent.

" She's under this tree here! I need help lifting it!"

The weight lifted from her chest and she could see the figures of two men standing over her. She couldn't make out any of their features because she was slowly slipping from consciousness.

" She needs a medic sir, and fast!" said the first man.

" I'll take her back to the ship. Yassop, you check the remnants of that house." Commanded the Scott.

" Eye sir!" said the first man, and he ran towards the storehouse.

The Scotsman bent down and gently lifted her from the ground and, cradling her in his arms, carried her away from what had been her only home.

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Well, there you have it. Send more revirws!... please!

**crepes -** Hehe... your reviews made me laugh. Keep 'em coming!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: GEMINI, NO, GEMIN

_Akayla was surrounded by tall, golden grass in what appeared to be a never-ending meadow. She stood up and saw her brother standing just a few feet away. She called to him but he didn't respond. He was looking the other way. What was he looking at? All she could see was tall grass and a blue sky. She walked up to her brother and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and smacked her to the ground. She looked back at him, only to see that Toru had taken his place. He was smiling an evil smile that shook her to the core. " I told you we would get you." He said, and disappeared leaving her alone in the meadow. Suddenly, the grass erupted into flames, burning her and hurting her. She had to get out but no matter where she ran there was nothing but fire. Then she saw her brother again, also burning, also hurting. She ran to him and grabbed his hand but let go, for it had burnt her worse than the fire was. " Help me!" he cried. But she couldn't touch him. She tried again and again but each attempt burnt her worse and worse. " Why wont you help me?" " I'm trying! You're hurting me when I touch you!" " Help me Akae! I need your help!" She reached for him again but this time, invisible hands were pulling her away from him. " Don't leave me! I'm still here! Come help me!" But no matter how much she struggled, the hands would not free her._

"Nii-san!" she yelled sitting up, and the pain returned to her chest and arm.

She fell backwards onto a soft surface and closed her eyes tightly. She knew it had been a dream, but she could still see her brother engulfed in fire. He was still calling for her, needing her help.

" Well, well! Look who's up so soon?" It was the Scottish voice again.

She looked to her right to see him sitting on a chair next to the bed she was on.

" You gave us all a good scare there kid!" He had deep red hair like hers, no left arm, and a straw hat on his head.

At his waist was a sword that, even in its scabbard, looked dangerous. But only one kind of person would wear a sword like that at their waist, a pirate! She now recognized the man as Red Shanks, one of the Navy's most wanted. She had seen his wanted poster in the village square on numerous occasions and had always thought what would happen if she met him. She didn't remember the exact price that was on his head, but she knew it was enough to allow at least eight families give up their jobs for life. But right now he didn't seem like he would want to hurt her, only make sure she was all right.

" Where is he?" She asked him. " Where is my brother?"

Shank's face went grave and he looked away.

" When we arrived at that village, there was nothing left. A fire had apparently gone out of control and… you were the only survivor. I'm sorry."

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(sniff sniff) .Yeah... so sad... (sniff)... send me, (hick! sniff) ... a review please...(sniff)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Luffy

It had been two weeks since Akayla had recovered from five broken ribs and a broken arm, and in that time she had grown to be part of the Red Shanks crew. Yassop, the marksman, Ben Bekman, the first mate, and Capitan Shanks had become her closest friends. They enjoyed having her around to lift the atmosphere a little. She still hadn't fully gotten over the fact that she had lost her brother, and was trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. She enjoyed singing for the crew and listening to the stories the captain would tell her. So far, her favorite one was of the legendary pirate king Gold Roger and his amazing treasure One Piece. She loved to hear of how he had done what no one else could do, and then egging people on to do the same thing. Just the thought of sailing such dangerous waters and earning such a wonderful treasure gave her a rush of adrenalin.

When she wasn't singing or listening to stories, Ben Bekman was teaching her hand- to- hand combat or swordplay, and Yassop was teaching her marksmanship. Other members of the crew also taught her how to use other weapons such as numb- chucks or throwing knives or anything else anyone used. It was alarming how quickly she learned and it was amazig how she could remember everything that was taught to her. One afternoon while Shanks was showing her a zanbato, the man in the crow's nest spotted land. As the crew prepared to dock the ship, Shanks explained that the village they were coming to was their base. A place where they could relax and take a break. When the ship was docked, a large welcoming party gathered to greet them and Shanks, with Akayla at his side, lead his crew to the tavern in the middle of the town. When they arrived the young lady who owned the tavern greeted them, and Shanks ordered food and beer for all of his crew. Akayla was sitting next to him at the bar when the tavern doors slammed open and a fist came flying straight at Shanks, who casually lifted his hand and caught it. It was then that she realized that the boy who had thrown the punch was still at the door with his arm stretching across the tavern. She had heard stories in her village of people who had gotten strange powers from eating things called Devil Fruit, but had never actually believed them. Yet here was a boy, not much younger than herself, who's body was made of rubber.

" Good to see you too Luffy." Said Shanks releasing the boy's hand, sending it flying right back at him and smacking him right between his eyes.

The entire tavern erupted with laughter.

" Hey!" yelled the boy. " No fair!"

Shanks just smiled at him and patted the stool next to him. " Would you feel better if I bought you something to eat?"

The little black haired boy suddenly smiled at the thought of food, and ran over to sit next to Shanks.

" Friend of yours Cap' in?" Akayla asked smiling.

" Yeah!" said the boy through a mouthful of meat. " I'm Luffy! I'm made of rubber!"

" I could tell. How did you get to be rubber?" " I ate the Gum- Gum fruit." he said casually.

Now she believed.

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YAY! LUFFY! CRAZY PERSON!(like me :P) Send a review!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: NEW FRIENDS

Over the next few weeks while Shank's crew was restocking the ship for the next voyage, Akayla and Luffy became good friends. Akayla explained how Shanks had saved her and how she had been the only survivor of the fire. It was painful for her to talk about her brother at first, but then she began to enjoy his memory and became more open about the topic. She knew her brother would hate to see her sad, so she had decided that she wouldn't mourn for him unless it was the anniversary of the day he died.

Luffy seemed to understand her feelings, having never known his parents either and knowing how he would feel if he lost his brother Ace. Ace was only one year older than Akayla, but he tended to avoid her with the excuse that little kids were annoying to him. Luffy however, knew better and told her that he was just scared of girls. He didn't know why, but he enjoyed teasing him about it. Ace was not much taller than Luffy and also had black hair, but longer and wilder looking. His face was perfectly rounded and flecked with freckles. Over all, she thought he was pretty cute. When it was time for Shanks and his crew to set sail, he requested that Akayla stay put in the village until they returned.

She agreed on the condition that she would be able to go with him on his voyages at least every other time. Luffy was not at all happy when Shanks agreed with only a moment's thought.

" You're not being fair! Every time you leave I ask to go with you and you say no. Why are you letting her go with you?"

Shanks smiled and teased, " We like her better. And besides, we all agreed to teach her to fight with every kind of weapon."

Luffy grumbled and looked away. " That's a stupid excuse. Why would she want to learn to do that?"

" To make my brother proud." Akayla stood only a little ways away holding a small harp the old mayor had given her.

Luffy felt ashamed and looked at the ground. He hadn't realized it had to do with her dream of being an all around weapons master.

" Oh… Ok. I guess that's fair. Shanks smiled and looked at Akayla.

" How about singing us a goodbye song Akae?"

The thought of singing made her happy and she broke out into a wide grin. " Which song?"

" Something fun." It took her a moment, but before long she had the perfect one.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me  
We pillage, we plunder we rifle and loot  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me  
We extort, we pilfer we filch and sack   
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
Maraud and embezzle and even high-jack  
Drink up me hearties yo ho  
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me  
We kindle and char inflame and ignite  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
We burn up the city we're really a fright  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
We're rascals, scoundrels villains, and knaves  
Drink up me hearties yo ho  
We're devils and black sheep - really bad eggs  
Drink up me hearties yo ho  
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me  
We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho  
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads  
Drink up me hearties, yo ho

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirates life for me.

By the time she had finished, the entire crew had stopped to listen. They hooted and cheered for her as they always did, but for some reason it meant more to her this time. When the ship finally pulled away from the dock and everyone had gone back to close their shops for the night, Luffy lead Akayla to a small cliff where together they watched the ship pull away into the setting sun.

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Hello! How are you liking it?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: THE GRAND LINE GUARDIANS

It had been two years since Shanks had brought Akayla to Luffy's village and also the last day she would be there. Shanks had decided that they had used the village as a base for too long and needed to find a new place. After saying goodbye to all of her friends from the village, Akayla went to the docks to find Luffy. When she arrived she saw him and Ace waiting for her by the boarding plank. After, much to Ace's displeasure, hugging them goodbye she climbed the plank and went to the rail just in time to see Shanks putting his prized straw hat in Luffy's head. Shanks had done a lot for Luffy in the past.

He had even sacrificed his left arm to save a drowning Luffy from a sea monster. Giving him his hat would definitely top the list. As the ship got ready to pull away from the dock Luffy called out to Shanks who had joined Akayla at the rail. " I'll show you shanks! I'm goanna be king of the pirates! I'll have a crew way better than yours and you'll have to look up to me!" Akayla smiled and called back,

" Hey Luffy! When you start your own pirate crew come find me! I'll be the musician and we can sing and dance all day!"

Luffy smiled and laughed his signature laugh. " It's a deal!"

When the village had vanished beyond the horizon, Shanks and Akayla started discussing where they should go next. Akayla was always discussing important matters with him and was more of a first mate than Ben Bekman was. Shanks had once told her story about one of his friends who protected the grand line. His name was Hawkeye Mihawk, and he was the best swordsman in the world.

She had thought it would be interesting to meet him, and when she suggested visiting him, Shanks wasn't surprised. It took them two days to reach the Grand Line, and on the night of the third Akayla spotted a small green light floating in the distance, and she knew that they had found their man. She knew she had to let him know they were the Red Shanks crew before he got too close. It had gotten to dark to see the flag.

She then remembered that Hawkeye knew the language of the Grand Line. Very few people had ever heard of the Grand Line language, let alone knew how to speak it. But Shanks had been teaching her these past years, and though she couldn't speak it perfectly, she knew it well enough to tell Hawkeye that they were friends.

" Deno attake! Se un fronisha!" ' Don't attack, we are friends' is what she had told him, and just in time.

For at that moment he had been getting ready to slice the entire ship in half. " Wen un yosh?" ' Who are you?' He had asked.

" Se un de Red Shanks coma!" ' We are the Red Shanks crew'. " What business have you here? I've no time for any of your dragging me off to fight with you! I have other obligations!"

This time it was Shanks who answered coming up behind Akayla. " Obligations? I don't see you for six years and you can't spare a few days for a visit? What could be more important than visiting with old friends?"

A new voice answered him. " My training!"

By this time, Hawkeye's coffin shaped boat had come up along side them, Hawkeye sitting cross-legged with his enormous sword clinging to his back. Akayla then saw that he wasn't alone. Standing behind him was a young girl of about six or seven years old with deep sea blue hair with a lighter blue shine that reached to her shoulders then tipped slightly.

Her eyes were that of a hawk's like her father's, but were cherry blossom red instead of gold. They boarded the ship and Shanks and Hawkeye clasped hands like old friends do. Shanks then looked at the girl at his side. " Is this Marina? My God I haven't seen you since you were a baby! Didn't know you had it in you to keep her. Have you gotten soft on me?" Hawkeye smiled at the remark. " Hardly. And what have you been up to? Been busy yourself eh?" He smiled and looked down at Akayla. She was now beginning to have her doubts about the trip.

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Akayla Shanks is me.

Marina Mihawk is my sister. (in real life)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: SOS

For three days Akayla had to deal with the little blue haired pest Marina continuously challenging her to fight and every time, she declined. It's not that she didn't want to fight her; it's just that she didn't know the girl's skill level. If she were to beat her, what would Hawkeye do to her, or to his daughter? Finally after three days the crew set sail for an abandoned island Hawkeye had told them about that would be perfect for their base. The morning after leaving for the island, Akayla woke to the distant sound of yelling. She went up on deck to see a large rock with two people standing there, signaling to the ship. " SOS! SOS!" the smaller of the two was yelling. The other figure was hunched over looking near death. " Captain! Man overboard! Man overboard!" Akayla was yelling, and soon the entire crew was awake and preparing a lifeboat to retrieve the strangers. When they returned with the castaways Akayla saw that one was a man missing his left leg and the other was a boy her age, both looking starved to death. She grabbed the boy and took him into her room while other members of the crew were tending to the man. She laid him down on her bed and ran to the kitchen to get food and water for the boy. Sanji woke to find himself in unfamiliar surroundings. The last thing he remembered was being saved from the rock and then passing out in the arms of a strange girl. He looked to his left to see the girl who had been helping him when he passed out. She was sitting on a chair next to the bed sleeping. He looked past her to the porthole to see that it was night. How long had she been sitting there? He sat up and saw a bowl of stew and a glass of water sitting next to his bed. Without hesitation he grabbed the bowl and began eating. He hardly stopped to take a breath he was so hungry. He had eaten little or no food for the past twenty- eight days, and wasn't about to give up this golden opportunity. When he was finished he looked back at the girl who, to his surprise, was sitting cross- legged looking at him. " Hungry?" she said with a smile. She was thin with a body- tight black shirt and black baggy pants that tucked into black combat boots. Her hair was as red as blood and was held up in a ponytail. But it was her eyes that startled him the most. They were emerald green and shone with a light that rivaled the stars themselves. She stood up and took the dishes, which had been licked clean, and smiled and said, " You look starved. I'll make you some more. Meantime, you should rest. Looks like you and that old guy went through a lot." And with that she turned and left him sitting up in bed. He didn't even know her name but for some reason, he knew he could trust her. With her, he felt safe.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: THE ALL BLUE

After Sanji had finished his eighth helping of stew, he wanted to find out more about this strange yet beautiful girl. He watched her begin tuning a guitar that's base resembled a flame. She felt him watching her and decided to start the conversation. " So how did you and that old guy get stranded?" she asked. " Uh… we were shipwrecked. Red Shoes and me. Or 'Shoe' it would be now." He looked away. The memory of the old guy cutting off his own foot to save him reentered his mind. It was his crew that had attacked their ship during a storm, and yet he had risked his life to save him just because they had the same dream. " So what's your name? Sanji?" " Uh… yah. How'd you know?" " I heard the old guy say it. Did you say that was Red Shoes? I've heard about him. I didn't expect him to be so old." They looked at each other and began laughing for what felt like five minutes. Finally, when they were out of breath, they looked back at each other with a dreary silence. " By the way, my name is Akayla, or Akae for short." " Oh, um, I like it. It suits you." He said. He could feel himself blushing. Akayla smiled slyly. " Oh? In what way?" she asked even though she already knew the answer. " Well… uh… it's a pretty name… and… you… you're… uh… pretty too." He could feel his entire face turn red. "Thank you. I must say, your name fits you as well. It's a cute name and you're a cute boy. One of few I've ever met." She smiled the entire time she said this. She didn't seem to be shy at all, so why was he? Almost as if she had read his mind she said, " You know, girls like it when you're straight forward. If you like them then tell them. Hold nothing back. Even if they're with another guy they'll like it. Trust me!" Sanji was totally unprepared for this but took her words to heart. " Straight forward eh? Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. So what're you doing on a pirate crew?" Akayla went on to explain her past and all of the symbolism she had in her appearance and how she planned on adding more. " Symbolism? How is your appearance symbolic? I mean, I get the all black look but what else is there?" " Well, I plan on getting a tattoo of a Dal Segno on my left shoulder. The symbol in musical terminology means 'return to this point'. I understand if you don't understand the irony of it all right now but you will someday. And also my hair. When my brother was alive, I used to wear pigtails. Now that he's gone, I only wear a ponytail. But enough depressing stuff. What's your dream?" His dream? " Well, I have the dream of any cook. I'm going to find the All Blue!" Akayla smiled. " Really? Well I'm sure you will. And when you do, I'm going to be right there with you."

Dal Segno


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: MORNMORDRE

When the ship's surgeon had finished putting a peg on Red Shoe's leg, it was time for them to go. They dropped them off a little ways from the town of Dublith where they had plans to start a restaurant.

" It's going to be the first boat restaurant! We're going to be world famous!"

" Just like I will! I promise that as soon as I get the chance I'm going to visit you. Save me a seat by the window!" they hugged each other goodbye and Sanji and Red Shoes headed towards the town. After Sanji left Akayla began thinking about her training.

Sure she was doing well with the crew, but she had remembered something Ben Bekman had told her. ' In order to train the body you must first train the mind'. Even though they continued her physical and skill training, she had often wondered what he meant. Now, two years later, she finally understood what he meant.

She needed to gain a better understanding of the world itself. But how could she do that? Nature had a lot it could teach the mind if only one were patient enough to observe what it would show you. She decided that to train her mind, a few years in the wilderness would be the best thing for training both her body and mind at the same time. She needed to choose a secluded place where she could be alone with no one to help her.

An island. Which one? There were so many. She had to make sure it was plenty dangerous. She would become one of the greatest fighters in the world, or die trying. She decided it would be Mornmordre, or Island of Lost Souls. None who ever went there ever returned, not even dead because there would be no one to bring back their corpse. She told Shanks her plan and it was the first time she ever saw him get angry.

He looked at her with a face that stole away the very warmth of her blood and made her shrink back.

" I will not take you. I will not be responsible for your death. True your skill far exceeds your age, but even the most experienced fighters have fallen prey to the wrath of that island. I support your wanting to get better at all costs, and your passion to fulfill your promise to your brother, but no."

" But I can do it! I can survive! Just four years! Is that too much to ask?"

" One day is too much to ask."

" But Shanks…"

" No and that's final!" and he turned and went to his cabin, leaving her alone with only a goggling crew for company.

Evening had fallen and a breeze blew from the south. Perfect direction to reach Mornmordre by morning. But surely someone would catch her. Ben Bekman (and the rest of the crew) had heard their argument.

" Akayla, Shanks is right. It would be suicide to go there. However…"

" However? What do you mean?"

Ben looked at her with a sly grin and then at the rest of the crew and nodded. They nodded back and quickly began readjusting the sails and turning the ship. What were they up to? She looked back at Ben.

" I'd start packing if I was you."

Dawn came quicker than anticipated and the crew worked faster and faster, doing everything they could think of to add wind to the sails. Men even began taking blankets and waving them at the sails. Akayla had packed a small bag of clothes and a backpack full of food she had gathered from the kitchen. Most of it was fruit that wouldn't keep long, so she would quickly need to find other means of getting food.

Soon the island was in sight and everybody relaxed a little. Until footsteps were heard in Shank's cabin and everyone ran to his door. Ben grabbed Akayla and ran to a lifeboat. He removed the tarp and dropped her inside along with her supply bags.

" What's going on? Let me out!" She heard Shanks yell.

Ten men were blocking the door with boxes and pushing against it with all of their strength, but he was still breaking through. Ben quickly lowered her down into the water.

" Row quickly! The tide won't be in your favor much longer!" She smiled up at him. " Thank you! For everything! Say goodbye to everybody for me! And the caption!"

He smiled back. " I will! Now go!"

There was a loud bang and she knew that Shanks had broken free. She began rowing franticly rowing towards the island and only looked back when she was twenty meters away, and what she saw almost made her fall out of the boat. There was Shanks standing at the rail, and he was smiling.

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No, Shanks is not happy that she's goane. He's just happy for her. Not happy she might die.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: KAZE- KAZE

The tides had just begun to shift when Akayla reached Mornmordre. She pulled the boat ashore and retrieved her belongings. She then saw something in the boat that shouldn't have been there. It was a sword with a black and red scabbard. It was the same sword she had been taught with. Apparently, Ben wanted her to keep it, so she took it as well. She looked around nervously. She hadn't been on the island even five minutes and she already felt like she was being watched from the shadows. Whatever this island had to hide, she would find it.

But first, she needed to construct a shelter. She picked up her bags and began walking along the beach. A few minutes later she saw an inward curve in the trees that she could work with. She set down her bags and quickly began gathering large leaves that were scattered along the beach. She had seen big leaves before, but these leaves were twice the size of the lifeboat. She put about twenty of them into a large pile and quickly climbed up with them one by one into the trees. She gathered vines and tied the leaves together, and then tied them to the trees. Then pulling on a rope, the leaves rose to make a roof above the clearing she had found.

She gathered many more giant leaves and spread them along the bottom to make a floor. She gathered many rocks, shells and sticks and lay them along the edges of the leafs to keep them in place. She then took what leafs were left over and used vines to tie them to the leafs hanging in the trees to make walls, and weighed these down with rocks as well. When she was done she stepped back to look at her work. It was great for a first timer. But night had begun to descend and she entered her new accommodations. She retrieved a blanket from her bag and began sifting through her bag for food. She looked in disappointed. She had eaten too much that day and all she had left was two loafs of bread, three wedges of cheese and two canteens of fresh water.

She reached into the bag and grabbed a loaf of bread. But then she felt something soft that she hadn't been able to see. She reached farther in and pulled out a light blue, exotic looking fruit with a thin, curly leaf at the top. Well there was no since in letting it go bad, so she put back the bread and took a bite of the strange fruit. It was sweet, like sugar and had as much liquid as a watermelon. The skin was tender and the inside hardly needed chewing. She put the canteen back in the backpack and finished eating.

When she was finished, she had a sudden sinking feeling, as if she had done something wrong. Then it dawned on her. A memory of the tavern in the village where she had met Luffy. " The Gum- Gum fruit was really cool. It was really watery but it tasted really sweet like sugar. Shanks had another one called Kaze- Kaze, or the wind fruit that was light blue." Oh no! Had she just eaten the wind fruit? She rubbed her hands together, praying. She thrust her hands in front of her and a huge gust of wind blew away from her and tore apart a section of the wall. "Oh… not good."

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Hey all! I love reviews!


	12. Chapter 12

Hey all

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**Chpt 12. NEW BEGINNING**

Akayla looked up to the sky and sighed, smiling. "Well brother, tomorrow I start my new life."

Akayla had been waiting three years and 364 days for this moment. Ever since her second day on the island, when a giant spider had attacked her. She had only escaped by using a giant gust of wind to impale the creature on a jagged rock. Everything had gone downhill from there. But it had been four years to the day since she had arrived, and she had finished attaching a mast and sail to the lifeboat she had come in.

She packed fruit, dry fish, and cooked meat from a bear she had killed the day before. She had never found out what the island had to hide, but whenever she saw ships in the distance, a storm would spring out of nowhere and sink them.

She had always wondered why she had been allowed to approach without any problems, but it wouldn't matter anymore. She was leaving. She could finally go into the world and show everyone who she was. She took one last look at the island of lost souls and pushed the boat into the water. She didn't really need oars, but she kept them with her anyways. She had kept the black and red sword Ben had given her and, for comforting reasons, tied it to her side. She was thirteen now, and ready to leave her mark on the world. She filled her sail with wind and started towards the north. She had once seen on a map the desert country Alabasta that was only about a week away from where she was if the winds were steady. But for her, she could get there in two days. She increased her wind speed and sailed steadily toward the country where she would make her debut. There had been smooth sailing all of the previous day, but as soon as Alabasta was in sight a huge fleet of ships approached hers to form a barricade in front of her.

"Here's my chance to show 'em what I got!" She said and brought out a metal disk.

It was as thin as paper, as light as a feather, but stronger then steel. She had found it on the island, and found that if enough wind was put behind it, it would fly even with a person on top. She jumped on and put wind underneath her. She drew her sword and flew towards the leading ship. The sail said Baroque Works, she knew that they were the protectors of Alabasta but she didn't care. She charged the ships and sliced the air three times with her sword and the ship fell into three equal sections. She did the same thing to all of the other ships then returned to her boat. The sea had turned into a ship graveyard. She smiled at her work and continued into port. At the docks she put on her backpack of simple belongings and ventured into town.

"Child! Is this your first time in Alabasta?" a stall clerk asked her a little ways into town. "Yes sir, I'm looking for a job." She said innocently.

She wasn't lying, just acting a little too innocent.

"Good to know young people aren't completely lazy. So for you I will sell this golden apple. Only 1000 berries for an apple that will make you live 1000 years. How about it?" She smiled. "No thanks. I'm not interested in eating paint." She said.

She had seen two people behind a curtain painting ordinary apples. She walked further along the street until she saw a large crowd around a wall. It had wanted posters of many different pirates. She smiled when she saw a wanted poster of Shanks, and giggled to herself when she saw one of the little Mihawk girl. But her thoughts were interrupted when a man appeared out of the crowd. He had a menacing looking golden hook on his left hand.

"Good People! We all know Baroque Works is a dangerous association. Only moments ago I received news of a stranger who took out an entire fleet in only a matter of minutes. We also know that she is in the city right now. Do not be afraid. If she is a friend, we will welcome her with open arms and hearts. If she is an enemy, I will personally see to it that she is stopped"

Akayla couldn't help it. She broke out into hysterical laughter, and soon everyone was staring at her.

"I…I'm sorry!" She said trying to calm down. "Do you honestly think you can beat someone who took out all those ships?"

The man smiled at her. "I am Crocodile! I can easily take out any fool who tries to endanger Alabasta."

She smiled right back and let her bag fall to the ground. She drew he sword.

"Well then, let's get at it!"

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Cocky little b 'aint she? Oh well... i shouldn't be hypocrytical :P

ALSO: I am awarding Mr. Crepes the "#1 FAN" award. I will do this every 11-12 chapters. Thank you Crepes! And as always... SEND OODLES OF REVIEWS!!!

By the way... I always imagine Crepes as Luffy:P


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